Page 19 of The Chef

“An… interview,” the glass-chucking chick stammers in response.

She’s as shocked as I am. Good.

This is my restaurant.

My domain. I’m in control here.

“Get out,” I reply, my fists clenching. I take one step into the office and away from the doorframe. “Before I punish you for what you did this morning.”

The girl seems unfazed by my comment. In fact, she seems renewed by it. Her hesitant expression disappears, replaced by a steely focus in her eyes. Shit. “Is that a threat?” she asks.

She’s calling my bluff.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Dominika asks from behind the desk. She has no clue what’s going on.

“Kinda,” Bay answers quickly.

“We met today,” I reply to my restaurant manager.

“If I remember correctly, you pushed past me into the bank and then you made a scene,” the fiery brown-head bluntly says at me like she’s throwing javelins.

Oh, you want a fight?

I can give you a fight.

“Actually, if I remember correctly, you were the one who made a scene. Do you even remember the glass of water? What you did in front of everyone?”

“I did that only because you were being a colossal dick, you deserved that.”

“I recall you were taking your sweet-ass time, so you needed some encouragement to get the hell outta there. You were holding up the line.”

“Screw you,” she replies. “You were rude and impolite, have you ever heard of patience?”

“No, I haven’t,” I say. “Mentioning it, I’m pretty impatient now for you to get out of my restaurant. Go now.”

“Are you kicking me out?”

“Don’t make me force you,” I reply. “I could pick you up right now and throw you out myself.”

Yeah, I bet she’ll fight back as I do so. I’m itching for it.

“Hold on one second,” Dominika interrupts me. “I haven’t finished my interview.”

“The interview’s over, Dominika,” I reply. “Bay - or whatever your name is - you’re leaving. Get out.”

Dominika raises her hand and I growl back at her. I don’t have time for her silly attitude right now, but I’ve got to respect her. Without Dominika, I have nothing. Without her, Rockpool would already be shut down and I’ll be deemed a failure by both my family and the entire town of New Water. I need this crazy European chef, and she knows that.

Oh, she knows it.

Despite me owning the place, she has power over me. And she knows how to wield that power.

Damn.

I do like her.

And now I just have to listen to whatever she’s going to say.

“The interview is not over until I say it’s over,” Dominika replies with that smug gleam in her eyes I know too well. She never passes up an opportunity to assert her dominance over me.